Well-drilling apparatus



APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1920.

Patented Sept. 69 H2L 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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i EIJMER C. BRAKE, F INDIANAPOLIS, ENDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IOi-TACGB P.

TETER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept.. 6, 1921.

i Application filed February 24, 1920. Serial No. 360,648.

To allzu/110m t may concern Be it known that I, ELMER C. DRAKE, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident' hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich like numerals refer to like parts.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a drilling member, whereby the well for the casing will be most expeditiously and economically formed by mechanical, abrasive and pneumatic means.V

The chief feature of this invention consists in supplying the drill with pneumatic means and with scouring means, as wel] as a rotatable cutting Ihead.

Another featureV of the invention includes the arrangement of a drilling head and providin the same with spiral paths, so that said liead will operate as a turbine rotor under the influence of compressed air supplied to the drilling head.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the rotatable drilling head with v means for dischar ing the scouring fluid under pressure adjacent the cutting edges for cleaning the same of excavated material and assisting in the excavation.

A further feature of the invention is the arrangement of the drilling head and supporting parts therefor within the well casing so as to form a discharge channel between the supporting parts and the casing for the excavated material.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevational view of the drilling head, the well easing and the support therefor. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the well casing and drilling member therein. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. F ig. 5 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 2.

In the drawings 10 indicates the well casing, 11 the cutting head supporting framework, 12 the cutting head or drill head, 13 the pneumatic supplying pipe or conduit, 14 indicates swivel clamp means for securing the framework and the conduit 13 1 to a supporting cable 9.

The specific structure of the drilling members comprises aplurality of parallel bars 15, the same positioned Within and preferably in spaced relation around the well casing, Vas shown clearly in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive. Said frame members 15 are slidable longitudinally of said casing and support within the same the structure comprising the drill head. Extending .transversely of said well casing and in parallel relation with each other are a plurality' of spiders 16, said spiders upon their adjacent faces being provided with roller raceways 17 and rotat-l ably supported between the same and upon suitable balls 18 or thrust bearings is a rotary drum 19. Concentric with said drum and stationarily secured to said spaced spiders 16 and in closeI relation to said drum is a drum cylinder or inclosing casing 20.

Said drum 19 is herein shown provided with a beveled or cut away edge 21, the same being adjacent the upper spider 16. yExtending through the upper spider 16 are a duits 23, the same communicating with the openings 22, as shown in Fig. 2. The exterior periphery of the cylindrical drum 19 is provided with a plurality of spiral grooves 24; extending substantially the entire' length thereof and communicating at the upper end with the beveled portion 21. The lower' ends of said spiral grooves 24 terminate in a common discharge passage 25 positioned centrally of said drum.

Extending centrally of said drum and communicating with the central discharge channel 25 is a conduit 26, the' same communicating with a pipe 27 extending centrally of and through the supporting pipe 18. The pipe 27 is stationarily secured in the upper spider 16 and projects downwardly 'therefrom into the central conduit 26. Surrounding the central discharge outlet 25 is a projecting portion 28, the same being rotatable in a central opening 29 "formed in the lower spider 16. Said downwardly projecting portion 28 s threaded upon the free end and rigidly secured thereto is the drilling head 12 positioned adjacent the lower spider 16 and beneath the same.

The drilling head 12 consists of a substantially circular member' provided with a central mixing chamber 30, the lat-ter communicating with the central discharge outlet 25 through the flared mouth 252 Extending radially from and communicating with said chamber are a plurality of radial discharge outlets or openings 31. The forward face of said cutting head 12 is substantially tapered, as shown in Fig. 2, at 32; while projecting therefrom are a plurality of cutting teeth 33, the same being provided with transverse radial cutting edges 341, the same lying in aplane substantially parallel to the spider 16.

Positioned within is a single way valve Yadapted to permit the sand and water comprising the scouring fluid to pass downwardly through said tube, but prevent the upward passage of air and excavated material. From the foregoing description it will be understood that the guiding bars 15,'through the spiders 16 position the turbo-drill centrally of said well casing. The material cut by the head 12 is permitted to pass upwardly within the channel or chamber formed by said well casing 10 and the stationary cylinder 20, as shown. Water and-sand are supplied to the central conduit 26; while cornpressed air is supplied -to the turbine or drum 19. Said air rotates said drum. Since the conduits 36 which communicate with the spiral grooves 24 and the central discharge outlet 25 extend diagonally toward the latthe central opening 26 35, the latter being ter and terminate at the junction of said discharge outlet and the central conduit 26,

lsaid air, in addition to' rotating the turbodrum, also sucks and forces the water and sand from said central opening and projects the same through the discharge outlet 25 into the mixing chamber 30. The mixed sand and water is then discharged through the radially extending openings 31 under the pressure supplied by the compressed air,

the head 12 rotating simultaneously therewith under the same medium. The discharged sand and water, as well as the material excavated from the well chamber, is carried upwardly around the cylinder'20 and within the casing 10. This dischar 'ng mixture under the influence of the re eased air and additional excavated material is carried upwardly through the casing 10 and discharges at the top thereof.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the openings 31 discharge radially from said head, and are positioned in the recesses Jformed adjacent the cutting edges 34. Fig. 2 shows clearly how the outlets direct the discharging scouring fluid t0 not only clean the recess of the. excavated material, but. also assist in the actual excavation of the casing well.

' Extending outwardly and upwardly from the upper spider 16 and suitably secured thereto are a plurality of braces 37 similar in number to the longitudinally extending bars 15. The intermediate portion of-each brace 37 is suitably secured to the upper end of a bar 15. The upper ends of said braces project inwardly and are suitably secured to -the clamping .member 14 surrounding .the

ing means for rotating the same, and means supplying scouring fluid to said drilling means, said pressure fluid after rotating said drilling means coperating with said scouring fluid for scouring purposes.

2. In a well drillerthe combination of a well casing, a plurality of guide bars positioned adjacent the walls of said casing, a plurality of transversely extending members within said casing and secured in parallel relation with each other to said guide bars, and means supported by said parallel members and extending beyond the same for drilling purposes.

3. In a well driller the combination of. a plurality of longitudinally extending guide bars positioned adjacent and within said casing, a spider positioned transversely within said casing and secured to the lower ends of said guide bars, a second spider parallel to said first' mentioned spider and positioned intermediate the ends ofsaid guide bars, bracing members, said members being secured intermediate their ends to the other ends of said longitudinally extending guide bars, and drilling means positioned centrally within said casing and supported by said parallel spiders, the opposite ends 4of said bracing members being secured to the second mentioned spider. Y

4. A well drilling apparatus comprising a rotatable drilling head, a stationary cylin-V 5. In a well driller the combination of an inclosing cylinder, a rotating member within said cylmder, said member having a central openlng extending therethrough,

A mcating withsaid groove and said central said cutting head,

and a spiral groove on the exterior surface thereof, said groove and said central opening communicating at one lend of said rotating member, means for introducing fluid to said spiral groove at the other end and liquid to said central opening adjacent thereto, and a cutting head positioned upon .said rotatable member and rotatable there- With, said cutting head being provided with a plurality of discharge openings commuopening.

6. In a well driller the combination' of a rotatabley member, a cutting head secured to said member and rotatable therewith7 means for supplying air under pressure to and means for supplying a scouring fluid to said head, said head having a plurality oil said head adjacent said cutting edges being cut away to` form recesses, said head being-providedwith a mixing and distributing chamber communicating with said air and scouring fluid supplying means, and a plurality of extending openings positioned adjacent each Vcutting edge substantially in the portion of the recess formed adjacent said edge, said air Aandscouring fluid discharging through said openings to clean said cutting edges and to assist the cutting head in its cutting action.

7. In a well driller the combination with a well casing, of a stationary cylinder, means positioned adjacent the ends of said cylinder, closing the same and maintaining said cylinder in spacedrelation within said well casing, means for supplying air to said cylinder, means-for supplying a vscouring fluid to said cylinder, rotatable means within said cylinder, said rotatable means being provided .with suitable conducting means communicating with. 'the air and scouring fluid supplying means, and a cutting head rotatable with said rotatable member, said head having a `mixing and distributing chamber therein, said conducting means discharging into said chamber, said cutting head being further provided with a plurality of cutting edges and a plurality of discharge openlngs,

said

tating said rotatable member,

of cutting edges, the surface said openings 'communicating with said chamber and discharging adjacent the cutting edges.

8. In a well driller, the combination of an inclosing cylinder, a rotating member within said cylinder, said rotating member having an opening extending therethrough, spiral means upon the exterior surface of rotating member, a drilling head positioned upon said rotatable member and rotatable therewith, means for supplying pressure fluid to said spiral means for roand means for supplying a scouring fluid to said opening, said. pressure fluid and said scouring means discharging through said drilling hea-d, said drilling head being provided with a discharge opening communicating with said groove and said central opening.

9. In a weil driller, the combination of an inclosing cylinder, a rotating member within said cylinder, said member having an opening extending longitudinally there through, spiral means on `the exterior sur# face of said rotating member, check valve means in said opening, means supplying scouring fluid to said opening, means supplying pressure fluid to said spiral means for rotating said rotatable member, anda hollow drilling head rotatable with said rotatable member and in communication therewith and provided with a discharge opening communicating with said spiral means and said opening.

l0.'y A rotatable well drilling head comprising a cylindrical body portion, said ody portion being suitably cut away to form a plurality of radial cutting teeth having edges lying substantially in the same plane, the body 'portion between adjacent teeth edges being conically tapered from the center of said drillingv head, thereby relieving the outer ends of said teeth, said conically tapered body portions being otherwise cut away from one cutting edge to the base of the 'adjacent tooth, thereby relieving said teeth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto laffixed my signature. 

